Happy New Year’s Day, 2015! For the next year, the word that will be my mantra is “devotion.”

Devotion means “profound dedication; consecration; earnest attachment to a cause, person, project, etc.” (Dictionary.com)

It’s often associated with religious observance or prayer, or an attitude towards someone you love. But, as the definition above says, it can also be applied to anything – a cause, a project, work, or play.
 

Devotion is about where we place our loving and focused attention.

 
For me, devotion is about making the best use of my time, financial resources, and energy to bring about a purpose of teaching about and modelling contemplative living through photography. For 2015, I will be devoted to the following:

* Leisure – which is much more related to contemplation than I ever imagined.

“Leisure … is not the privilege of those who can afford to take time; it is the virtue of those who give to everything they do the time it deserves to take.” ~ David Steindl-Rast via Brain Pickings

In 2015, I will be devoted to giving everything I do a sense of leisure (or play). That means reining in my impatience when my dog just wants to sniff along the street in front of my house. It means opening up my senses while cooking and cleaning and running errands. It means simplifying my life, so that my days are spent doing what’s important for me and for the world.

* Contemplation – or, considering with attention, can only happen when we bring this attitude of leisure to everything we do. To me, it’s the only way to live because it leads to presence, appreciation, and a clear picture of what’s needed.

Read: How to Know If You’re Contemplative.

* Going to the Edge – where serendipity, creativity, and awe live (thanks to Jason Silva). This means making connections, getting out of my comfort zone, and always trying new things.

* Vulnerability – because it’s what gives wholeness to life. If you haven’t yet seen Brene Brown’s TED talk on this subject, please do so now.

I’m devoted to exploring my inner world for greater emotional and self-awareness. I hope to discover untapped potential and what continues to hold me back.

* Photography as Therapy – which is my passion. I’m utterly devoted to my daily photo walks, and exploring what my camera teaches and shows me about contemplation and living a life of adventure.

This year, I’ll be devoted to the practice of visual journaling, resulting in a greater understanding of what and why I photograph, and uncovering themes and patterns in my photography.

* Workshops – are my passion because I get to meet the most interesting people. I’ll continue to give everything I have to each workshop, no matter how many times it’s been offered. I’ll continue to tweak each one with new information and inspiration. I’ll follow my intuition to create new workshops and collaborations.

By the way, Adventures in Seeing starts in four days!

* Personal Projects – This year the projects I’ll be devoted to include visual journaling, exploring archetypes through mandalas, writing a book on seeing, and creating a portfolio of abstract images of my hometown.

* Relationships – which are the foundation of life and require time and attention. In 2015, I will make time and pay attention to the people that are most important to me, because it’s what makes life worth living.

* Health – makes everything else possible. In 2014, I started to run/walk and learned what my body needs as fuel to feel its best (read Grain Brain or watch the documentary, Fed Up to learn more). I’m devoted to paying attention to what my body is telling me, which at this point means more stretching and strength training.

* You – the readers of this blog and participants in workshops, continue to motivate and inspire me. You make this work/play a joy. I’m devoted to you. So, if there’s something you need that you think I could provide through my work, please let me know.
 

Is there a word that will guide you this year?

 
Who got me started on devotion? Alexandra Franzen (e-book of essays).